The conference on ‘Women Empowerment – Driving Inclusive Growth and Leadership’, organised by the FTCCI Women Empowerment Committee at Cyber Gardens, Hitec City, brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, academicians and experts to discuss women’s role in driving economic growth.
Dr. Tasneem Shariff, Chair, Women Empowerment Committee, FTCCI, said the rise in workforce participation was encouraging but “participation is only the beginning”. For India to achieve its development goals, women needed to move beyond jobs and take greater roles in boardrooms, businesses, investment decisions, exports and economic leadership, she said.
The funding gap remained particularly stark. Globally, women-only founding teams received just 2.3% of venture capital funding in 2024, about $6.7 billion of the $289 billion invested. At that pace, one analysis projects that funding parity could take until 2065, Dr. Shariff said.
“Viksit Bharat is not possible with half the human capital under-utilised. The next leap is to put women not just in jobs, but in boardrooms, businesses, investment decisions, exports and economic leadership,” she said.
C.S.S. Rao, Joint Director and HoO, MSME-Development and Facilitation Office, said women’s empowerment was an important driver of economic growth and highlighted government support available to women entrepreneurs.
Mr. Rao also highlighted the Procurement and Marketing Support scheme, under which women-owned micro and small enterprises are eligible for 100% reimbursement of eligible expenditure, subject to scheme guidelines, for supported market-access activities. Under the MSME Sustainable-ZED Certification scheme, women-owned manufacturing MSME units can obtain ZED certification at no cost.
He urged women entrepreneurs to adopt digital tools, explore e-commerce and continuously upgrade their skills and products, saying the available opportunities were larger than ever.
Veteran actor and entrepreneur Amala Akkineni said empowerment began when women believed their choices, ideas and aspirations had value. She urged women not to be afraid of starting small and said women could become agents of change through education, community service, environmental initiatives, animal welfare and other social causes. “When one woman rises, she can lift many others with her,” she said.
Uma Devi Chigurupati, Executive Director, Granules India, said inclusion required organisations to provide fairness, respect and equal opportunity rather than concessions. At the same time, women needed to take bold decisions, accept new assignments and step into unfamiliar areas, she said.
FTCCI president K.K. Maheshwari said women’s empowerment was no longer merely a matter of social responsibility but an economic necessity and a growth strategy. The next phase of India’s growth had to be more inclusive, with women at the centre of the transformation, he said.
Dr. Nida Fatima Hazari, who moderated one of the panels, said, “I believe when women are empowered with the right opportunities and platforms like FTCCI, the impact goes far beyond the individual and it strengthens families, communities and the nation at large.”
The day-long conference featured 15 speakers from government, industry, entrepreneurship, technology, finance, development and social impact sectors.